Implementation of Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Dynamic Strain Monitoring in Carbon Fiber Launch Vehicle Airframe Sections

Abstract

The reliance on Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) is expected to increase as the space launch industry works towards reducing launch costs while focusing on sustainability. Monitoring the structural health of launch vehicle airframe sections, especially those sustaining high dynamic loads and potential structural complications, is essential for re-flight certification. The objective of the current studies is to examine dynamic strain in rocket vehicle sections subjected to high loads during blast-charge-based separation events. In this context, multiplexed surface mounted Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) offer high spatial resolution, mass savings, simplified sensing architecture, and better performance in hostile environments compared to Resistive Strain Gauges (RSGs). In this study, the dynamic performance of FBG sensors and their comparison with RSGs is presented for dynamic impact and blast-based separation event studies on carbon fiber composite airframes.